


Breaking

by Aviss



Series: Breaking [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-17
Updated: 2010-02-17
Packaged: 2017-10-07 08:26:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aviss/pseuds/Aviss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone has a limit. Ichigo just reached his.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breaking

**Breaking**

"I can't do this anymore."

Byakuya hears the words--echoing off the walls as if they were shouted instead of barely whispered, and has to force himself to remain still, to feign ignorance or nonchalance or many other things he isn't actually feeling right now.

He has known for some time things were going to end like this, and still he's been unable to stop it.

"I just can't--"

It's the voice, so unlike the loud and confident one he usually hears coming from him what makes him open his eyes. The look on Ichigo's face is also one alien to him: so lost, so wounded, so _pleading_.

Byakuya has to close them against the guilt it stirs inside him.

The room is silent again, the seconds passing by with excruciating slowness. Each pounding heartbeat feels like a lifetime, like a lost chance of what he doesn't know or can't acknowledge.

Ichigo is again the one to break it.

"Good bye, Byakuya."

The silence is not the only thing broken.

"Good bye," he says.

_Stay,_ he doesn't.

He measures his breaths while he listens to the retreating steps, considering what he might have done differently, what should he do differently next time.

Next time--there won't be a next time, he realizes.

Byakuya is out of bed before he even makes the conscious decision to stand up, and walks to the door uncaring of his nudity.

"Kurosaki!" he calls loudly, knowing Ichigo is somewhere near--he has not heard the front door closing. His servant looks up and shakes his head, whether to indicate Ichigo's already left or that he hasn't seen him Byakuya doesn't know. "Ichigo!" he tries again.

Ichigo detaches himself from the shadows at the end of the corridor and turns to look at him. There is a mixture of hope and triumph in his eyes now.

"Byakuya?"

"Stay," he finally says.

_Please,_ he still can't. Maybe soon.


End file.
